Head of BGN: 60 Percent of Children Lack Access to Nutritious Meals and Milk
The Head of the National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, claimed that the government is comprehensively intervening in children’s nutritional development through the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. Dadan conveyed this during a presentation on the development and impact of MBG at the retreat for Chairs of Regional People’s Representative Councils across Indonesia in Magelang, Central Java, on Saturday, 18 April 2026.
He highlighted the low average duration of education among Indonesians, which stands at only nine years. According to Dadan, many Indonesian children are born to parents with primary school education backgrounds.
“Thus, it is no surprise that 60 percent of children lack access to balanced nutritious meals, and 60 percent of these children rarely drink milk or are unable to afford it,” said Dadan, quoted from a written statement on Monday, 20 April 2026.
Dadan explained that this flagship project of President Prabowo Subianto focuses on two phases: the first 1,000 days of life, which determine intelligence development, and the school-age phase, which plays a role in optimal physical growth.
Dadan stated that MBG is expected to reduce stunting rates and improve the intelligence quality of future generations. “Because Indonesia’s average IQ is currently 78, we hope that with this programme, in 10 years, 15 years, the children born today will become productive workers in 20 years without stunting, and their height will increase because we are intervening now,” said Dadan.
This Professor from IPB University conveyed that the MBG project stems from the President’s concern over Indonesia’s high population growth. Prabowo assesses that this growth must be balanced with improvements in human resource quality.
“This programme actually originated from the President’s concerns, because Indonesia is still growing by six people per minute, three million per year, and will continue to grow to reach 324 million by 2045. Now the problem is not the growth itself but where that growth is coming from,” said Dadan.
In his presentation, Dadan also discussed the local economic impact of MBG. To date, he claimed, MBG has reached all regions of Indonesia through 27,000 Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) or provider kitchens, with a total budget absorption of Rp60 trillion.
According to Dadan, this budget has been distributed throughout Indonesia. “Today, it has absorbed Rp60 trillion in budget, all of which has been distributed from Sabang to Merauke, driving the economic wheels in various regions,” said Dadan.